1. Health Professions Advising Orientation Wednesday, August 24, 2016 Grand Hall, RMC

2. Office of Academic Advising Health Professions Advisors registered with AAMC  Aliya Bhimani – Director of Academic Advising  Brad Blunt – Assistant Director of Academic Advising  Dr. Danielle Brady – Assistant Director of Academic Advising  Laura Kirkland – Assistant Director of Academic Advising  Christine Martinez – Assistant Director of Academic Advising  Davinia Rodriguez-Wilhelm – Assistant Director of Academic Advising Administrative Staff  Aurora Zarate – Department Coordinator

3. Ley Student Center, Suite 132

4. Community of Advising

5. Mission Academic Advising at Rice University strives for an unparalleled environment for undergraduates to explore opportunities, identify goals, and implement plans to reach those goals.

6. Exploring Health Professions  40% of incoming class expresses interest in exploring health professions  After exploring options, many will choose to pursue some other interest  Approximately 12-16% of Rice graduates attend a health profession school  90% pursue MD degree

7. Exploring Health Professions  Dentistry  Medicine  Nursing  Occupational Therapy  Optometry  Pharmacy  Physical Therapy  Podiatry  Psychiatry  Public Health  Speech Therapy  Veterinary Medicine  Combined Degrees (e.g. MD/PhD)

8. The Strong Candidate Academic foundation  Grade point average (overall and science)  Standardized test score (e.g. MCAT, DAT) Co-curricular activities  Clinical experience  Community service and leadership  Research Personal attributes  Diverse interests, perspectives, and experiences  Interpersonal skills  Ethics and integrity

9. Choosing a Major  Medical and dental schools accept students with a variety of majors  Entrance requirements can be incorporated into any undergraduate curriculum  Choose a major which interests you  Rice applicants are 60% ENGI/NSCI, 40% HUMA/SOSC  Major does not increase or decrease chances of admission

10. Prerequisite Course Requirements The specific requirements for each medical school can be found in the yearly publication from the Association of American Medical Colleges, Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), which can be purchased from the AAMC website: www.aamc.org. Likewise, the American Dental Education Association publishes the Official Guide to Dental Schools, which can be purchased from the ADEA website: www.adea.org.www.aamc.orgwww.adea.org For specific requirements to other programs (veterinary medicine, pharmacy, optometry, etc.), please contact the OAA. Most Texas medical schools require additional upper-level biology coursework (300- & 400-level course offerings). Dental schools require additional coursework in microbiology. BIOC 424 will satisfy this requirement. CourseRequiredRecommendedHoursRequired Lab CourseHours English ● 6 General Chemistry ● 6 ● 2 Organic Chemistry ● 6 ● 2 Biology ● 6 ● 2 Biochemistry ●● 3 Physics ● 6 ● 2 Mathematics ● 3-4 Statistics ●● 3 Humanities/Social Sciences (hours=n) ● 12<n

11. Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Physics Placement  Department guides available on OAA website  Advanced Placement credit  Not all schools accept AP credit – see chart on OAA website  May be required to take additional upper-level course work  Consider whether you are prepared for advanced course work, standardized test

12. Planning Your Program of Study  Average course load is 14-16 semester hours  ENGI/NSCI labs can be especially time-consuming  Focus on developing time management and study skills  Cannot take prerequisite courses as Pass/Fail  Must earn at least “C” grade  Not recommended to take many prerequisites during the summer

13. Study Abroad  With careful planning, any student can study abroad  Schools will not accept prerequisite courses taken abroad  Immerse yourself in learning about the people, language, and culture of the country  Explore programs focused on medicine and global health on Study Abroad Office website http://abroad.rice.edu/

15. Dental Admission Test (DAT)  Survey of the Natural Sciences  Biology  General Chemistry  Organic Chemistry  Perceptual Ability  Reading Comprehension  Quantitative Reasoning  Score scale ranges from 1 (low) to 30 (high)

16. MCAT and DAT  Take the appropriate standardized test soon after completing the prerequisite courses  Plan to spend a significant amount of time preparing, either in self-study or via a prep course  Ideally, students score their greatest possible score the first time  But it is not uncommon or detrimental to take the test a second time after targeted preparation  Scores are valid for 3 years

17. Grades and Standardized Test Scores The AAMC began administering a revised version of the MCAT with a different score scale in April 2015. Averages for calendar year 2016 using the current scale will be available in summer 2017. In the past 12 years, 87% of Rice UG first-time medical school applicants using the OAA services have been accepted to at least one medical school, whereas the national acceptance rate is about 41%. Even when including all alumni (including seniors who take a “gap year”), the Rice acceptance rate is more than double the national acceptance rate. Mean Cumulative Grade Point Average and MCAT Score Rice Medical School Applicants (2010-2014) Calendar Year Mean Grade Point AverageRice Mean MCAT ScoreNational Mean MCAT Score 2010 3.71033 (91 st percentile)28 (67 th percentile) 2011 3.70633 (91 st percentile)28 (67 th percentile) 2012 3.71233 (91 st percentile)28 (67 th percentile) 2013 3.65031 (83 rd percentile)27 (61 st percentile) 2014 3.70733 (91 st percentile)28 (67 th percentile)

18. Grades and Standardized Test Scores  Strong grades and test scores evidence scholastic achievement  Do not become discouraged if first-year grades do not meet your expectations  Schools value upward trends in grades  Seek academic assistance from professors, TAs, Academic Fellows/Mentors, Student Success Initiatives (SSI), etc.  MCAT score scale supports holistic review

19. Co-curricular Activities  Medical and dental schools expect applicants to have exposure to their field of choice, a desire to help others, and the ability to work in teams  Your years at Rice should not be viewed simply as preparation for a health professions school  Explore your unique interests

20. Clinical Experience  Shadowing a physician or dentist  Small clinics – just email and ask  Large hospitals – must apply for a clinical observership  NSCI 399: Medical Professionalism  Volunteering in a hospital or clinic  Rice Emergency Medical Services (REMS)

21. Community Service and Leadership  The Center for Civic Leadership offers a range of volunteer programs  Rice’s residential college system affords many leadership opportunities  200+ students organizations including Rice Pre-Medical Society (RPMS) and Rice Pre- Dental Society (RPDS) https://ccl.rice.edu/

22. Research  Not required, but can help students develop critical thinking and communication skills  Schools value a sustained commitment of a year or more  Opportunities are available in all disciplines  Inquire about positions in labs with faculty at Rice, Texas Medical Center and include your resume  Students can obtain credit for their work, present research at the Rice Undergraduate Research Symposium (RURS)

23. Student Handbook and Honor Code Rice students agree to behave in ways that are respectful and responsible, adhere to the policies in the Student Handbook and Honor Code Similarly, medical and dental schools expect good judgement, honesty, and integrity in applicants Infractions must be reported, best to avoid them Take responsibility for mistakes and learn from lapses in judgement Meet with an advisor to discuss how to present yourself honestly and appropriately

24. Pre-Health Timeline First Year Students Fall SemesterSpring Semester  Attend the Health Professions Advising Orientation  Plan a tentative course of study by engaging with the entire community of advising  Begin to survey career options in health care  Join Rice Pre-Medical Society (RPMS), Rice Pre-Dental Society (RPDS), or another pre-professional student organization  Think about a major  If desired, make arrangements to conduct research  Visit the Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) to identify volunteer programs of interest  Visit the Center for Career Development (CCD) to identify summer programs/job opportunities; apply for an OwlEdge Externship; attend the Rice Career and Internship Expo  Visit the Study Abroad Office to plan ahead for opportunities during your junior or senior year

25. Pre-Health Timeline  Open File Process and Health Professions Advising Committee (HPAC) letter  Common Application Services  American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS)  Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS)  American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)  Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)

26. Gap Years  More than a few Rice students decide to take four years to prepare before applying  Expected to grow with recent addition of new medical school and MCAT requirements  Medical and dental schools view favorably applicants who are mature and with more life experiences  The median age of matriculation to medical school is 24  Options include work, clinical experience, research, service, travel abroad, other graduate degrees

27. Deciding Where to Apply  Highest likelihood of acceptance is at public schools within the state where you have legal residence  In fall 2016, Rice graduates matriculated to medical and dental schools in the following states:  TX = 65.9%  CT, DC, MA, MD, NH, NY, PA = 12.8%  IA, IL, OH, MI, MO, WI = 8.5%  AR, FL, KY, LA, TN = 6.4%  AZ, CA, OR = 6.4%

28. Office of Academic Advising Website: http://oaa.rice.eduhttp://oaa.rice.edu Telephone: 713.348.4060 Email: aadv@rice.eduaadv@rice.edu facebook.com/RiceAcademicAdvising twitter.com/riceacademics